


losing my mind (over you)

by lucio



Category: The Love Interest - Cale Dietrich
Genre: Alternative Perspective, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-29 17:15:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19024372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucio/pseuds/lucio
Summary: "I mean, the only practice I've had is during kissing classes, so I'm worried about screwing it up," I say, knowing I'm rambling and not being able to shut up. Caden starts swinging his legs over the side of the roof beside me, and he's so adorable I think it's gonna kill me."I feel the same," he says, quietly. "I wish there was a way to get better at it."The words make me stumble to a halt. What I'd planned to say to him next was, 'Wanna go for a drive?' But with an opening like that, and a discussion about kissing like this..."But there is a way," I say, grinning my practiced crooked grin to hide the sudden rampage of butterflies in my stomach. "Kiss me."





	losing my mind (over you)

**Author's Note:**

> Of course I had to pick one of the most obscure fandoms in the Archive for my first work, but seriously, this is exactly where I thought this scene from The Love Interest was going, and I love Caden and Dyl so much that I had to spin out a little something for them! And honestly, it's a travesty there isn't more fanfiction about them <3
> 
> (A bunch of the dialogue is taken word-for-word from the book, which I definitely do not own!)

_Is there something wrong, Dylan?_

_It's Dyl,_  I correct for the millionth time, resisting the urge to roll my eyes as Judy's voice comes in through my implant. It's probably not a great idea to roll my eyes when I'm going way over the speed limit in the evening twilight. Also, I'm pretty sure Judy can tell when I'm rolling my eyes at her.  _And no, there's nothing wrong._

 _I know that tone_ , Judy continues stubbornly. Still professional - that lady's squeaky-clean - but she cares enough to press, which is kind of nice.  _Is it thoughts of Juliet that are bothering you?_

 _Juliet_ , I think in response, and wish that the name summoned up any kind of feelings inside me. Like, literally anything. Even hatred would be better for me than the complete lack of interest that floods me when I try to think about Juliet in a serious, Love Interest way. She's pretty, and very intelligent, and the millions of hours I spent training have drilled all the right habits into my head, but not even habit can get me excited about Juliet. Not even in a physical way. 

There is definitely someone who gets me a little excited, though - physically and otherwise - but it's weird and new and I can't be thinking about him. 

 _Him_. 

See, this is exactly the way I can't be thinking about him. But I couldn't stop myself if I wanted to. 

 _What about Juliet?_ Judy prompts, and I realize I've spaced out in the last thirty seconds. Thankfully I haven't crashed Judy's precious car.  _I imagine this is quite nerve-wracking, but you're really doing a very thorough job of it._

 _Good,_ I think back. That's all it is to me. A job.  _Listen, would you mind dropping out of my head for a bit?_

There's a pause before Judy replies, long enough for me to pull quietly into a spot outside of the rundown brown house that I really shouldn't have come to.  _Is that Caden Walker's house?_

I don't like the nasty little inflection in her voice when she says Caden's name, and I snap back more harshly than I intended:  _And if it is?_

Judy sighs.  _What information could you possibly get from visiting your rival's house in the middle of the night? Wouldn't it be better for me to--_

 _I just want one fucking hour alone in my head, Judy_ , I say, pulling on all the anger and rebellion a proper Bad boy should have.  _Too much to ask?_

 _No,_ says Judy, voice cold.  _Brief me on any developments._

And just like that, she's gone. I breathe a sigh of relief and get out of the car. 

* * *

Climbing up the side of the wall isn't much of a challenge, not even when my abs are aching like nuts from all those crunches, and soon I'm knocking on Caden's window with a dorky grin on my face. I can faintly see him lying on his side in his bed. When he doesn't move, I knock a little harder. 

He sits up. And, oh my god, he's shirtless. My mouth literally falls open when I see him and I physically have to close it, praying he didn't notice; he doesn't look like he did, but there's a tiny smile on his face when he reaches up to scratch at the side of his head. "Hey," he says as he comes to unlatch the window. I feel like I'm going to say something stupid if I look at him, so I awkwardly dig my (short, for the proper Bad boy effect) nails into the wood instead of making eye contact. "You're getting predictable. That's not very Bad of you."

Say  _something, Dyl,_ my brain hollers at me. But I have absolutely nothing to say, not while Caden's zipping up his fly, smooth as you please, and scrounging around before pulling on an adorable navy sweater. I just roll my eyes at his comment and try to think about Juliet, or Judy, or the LIC, or anything, really. Anything except the beautiful, funny boy currently climbing through his own window to sit next to me. 

I clasp my hands together and stare at them like they're going to give me advice. Then, suddenly, I do have something to say. "Being Bad is bullshit, man," I tell Caden, and he doesn't seem to mind me bringing up our dumb-as-hell rivalry. He  _gets_ me. In fact, the more we talk, the more I realize how much of a Nice kid he actually is. I'm not any good at being Bad, no pun intended, but Caden's just so goddamn Nice in every sense of the word. 

Also, whenever I sneak a glance at his side profile in the moonlight, I find myself thinking his body isn't half bad either. 

And then Caden asks, "And you're going to kiss her?" 

I fidget a little. "Yeah. I am." 

"Are you looking forward to it?" Caden's eyes flicker down to my lips. Maybe he's jealous. Or maybe I'm imagining things. 

"I guess. I mean, the only practice I've had is during kissing classes, so I'm worried about screwing it up," I say, knowing I'm rambling and not able to shut up. Caden starts swinging his legs over the side of the roof beside me, and he's so adorable I think it's gonna kill me.

"I feel the same," he says, quietly. "I wish there was a way to get better at it."

The words make me stumble to a halt. What I'd planned to say to him next was, 'Wanna go for a drive?' But with an opening like _that_ , and a discussion about kissing like _this_...

"But there is a way," I say, grinning my practiced crooked grin to hide the sudden rampage of butterflies in my stomach. "Kiss me." 

At that, Caden turns to properly look at me. His eyes are wide, and though I know exactly how beautiful they look in the sunlight, they're no less stunning in the dark - murky blue, like pictures of the ocean. "What?"

"Look," I say. He  _is_ looking, eyes shifting all across my face like he's searching for something. I try to keep my face as open and honest as possible. "You're here. I'm here. It's not like I can practice with anyone else at school. And I'm not asking for...anything. Whichever of us wins will probably need the practice with someone who isn't our instructors, anyway."

Caden's hand shifts on the tiles, and bumps into mine. I don't need that LIC gel to feel the startling shock at his touch. "You're serious, Dyl?"

"I'm not asking for anything," I repeat, the words tasting like acid in my mouth. But God, if all I get is to kiss him, that's more than enough for me. "Just, like, practicing, you know?"

Caden doesn't say anything, and I have a split second to worry that I've overstepped before he leans in, just a little. 

It's all the invitation I need, those pretty pink lips so close to mine. I lean in far enough to close the gap. 

The first thing I feel is - whoa. Caden's mouth is soft and warm on mine, and maybe it's just because I'm a Bad, because I'm supposed to do rebellious things, but my hands automatically go up to cradle his face between them. Caden doesn't immediately yank away in disgust, so the tiny part of my brain that's still functioning rationally counts that as a win. And he's kissing me back, too, in a way that feels so genuine and so  _Caden_ \- it's not earth-shattering or anything, but it's warm and nice and the moonlight is pretty damn romantic. He shifts, lets out a tiny gasp, and I don't let him off, trying to tell him in the kiss that he's cute and funny and sweet and that I really, really do not want him to die because of me. 

Neither of us moves for a while. It might be a minute. It might have been a dozen. But, eventually, Caden breaks the kiss, just enough to lean his forehead against mine. We're breathing the same air. It's...

How could anything I have with Juliet ever be like  _this?_

"Dyl," Caden says, sounding just as dazed as I feel. "If you're seriously gonna tell me that was just practice, you're an even worse liar than I am."

I sigh. My neck is gonna start complaining in a minute, what with the angle I'm adoringly leaning into Caden at, but fuck it, I wouldn't move right now if you paid me to. "In my defense, it's supposed to be."

"I like you, Dyl." Caden says it a little defiantly, like I'm gonna disagree with him or something. "Just, for the record. I know we can't  _be_ anything, but..."

The hope in his voice is kind of heartbreaking. "I like you too," I admit. It feels freeing. Suddenly I'm filled with such giddiness that I smile, so wide that Caden can definitely feel it, and sure enough I can tell he's smiling back. "This is - wow. I mean, I don't really like a lot of boys, you know?"

Caden doesn't say anything. Doesn't matter. I know he understands. 

"But," he says, "what about Juliet?"

Her name erases the giddiness as fast as it came. "I'm not going to cheat on her," I say, finally pulling back enough to gulp in the fresh night air. Caden's head stays bowed for a second before he lifts it to look at me, not quite hiding the guilt in his eyes before I catch it. "But she hasn't made her choice yet. And that's what we were practicing for, right? Kissing Juliet. That's all that matters."

"It's more than that," says Caden.

Why does he have to look at me like I can break his heart in two? "I...yeah," I say, uncharacteristically fumbling for words. "I know. But it can't be like that between us," I say, meaning it even though I wish I didn't. "Maybe in another world."

"Yeah," says Caden, and laughs, just a little. "In another world, you could be a paramedic, and we could have, like, a garden and trees and stuff."

"You really  _are_ a Nice boy," I shoot back. His grin is infectious. I really do like the idea of living with Caden like that, and, just for a second, I imagine the domesticity of being with this wholesome-yet-defiant boy that I...

Nope, definitely not love. But still. He's  _Caden_. 

I check my watch. Good. There's time. "I know what we should do," I say. 

"What?" 

"Go for a drive," I say, pointing to my car even though I know Caden can't see it. "I'll play the music, and you can, I dunno, look out the window."

Caden snorts. "Sounds fun."

"It will be," I say. Honest to God, I've never cared as much about Juliet as I do in this one second about making Caden come for a drive with me. "So will you?"

"Yeah," he says, and his grin could light up the whole city. "Yeah." 

So we climb down from his roof and swing into my car, and I put on my favorite tunes as we go careening out underneath the moon; and if I pull off on the side of the road so I can kiss him, just me and him underneath the burning stars, then, hey, what Judy and Kaylee don't know isn't going to kill them. 

I know I'll have to deal with Judy and Juliet in the morning. I know I might be walking straight to my impending doom. But I have Caden - for however long this lasts, I  _finally_ , honestly have Caden - and that's the only thing I really care about. 

 


End file.
